Return To The Harbor
by aroseisarose
Summary: A young man, a revelation, and a journey that would never be forgotten. This was the 1st fan fic that i ever wrote, and i decided to post it. Please R&R. BTW all standard disclaimers apply.
1. Chapter One

Chapter One 

As Rafe comes home with his son Danny from they're little flying lesson they find an unexpected visitor.

"Red?" shouted Rafe

                "Rafe is it really you?"

"Yes, I can't believe it!"

"Who is this wonderful boy?" Red asked as soon as the trio got inside

" This is Danny, Danny Walker McCawley"

" Oh, Danny Walker McCawley" Red put the emphasis on the Walker part

"Yes. How have you been?" asked Rafe

" Ever since Betty I can't let myself heal and go on with my life."

"Love is indeed very powerful" agreed Rafe

Rafe's wife, Evelyn comes down the stairs to see the visitor and take her son upstairs to get ready for bed. Her eyes become wide when she realizes who the guest is in her home. Red was one of the gang back when she was stationed in Pearl Harbor as a Navy Nurse.

"Evelyn! You are even more beautiful then you were then!"

" Red! I'm married to her now!"

"Sorry" said Red

" Well, thank you. Excuse me, Danny time for bed. Let Daddy talk to Mr. Winkle" 

" Yes, Momma"

The old friends talk while Evelyn puts Danny down to sleep.

" Rafe, I feel so responsible!"

                " Why? Is it about Betty?"

" No, Danny" Red whispered

" No one could have saved him. I feel responsible too. But he's gone just like Betty and Anthony."

" Danny, your son, I feel responsible for him. I told Danny to forget about you and that it was just between him and Evelyn. I guess he took my advice"

" What happened happened. Danny is my son. That is what his father wanted."

" Are you still mad at him?"

" How can I be? His son has become my life. Enough of this; let me show you up to your room."

" Sure"

                The next morning Red finds Evelyn tending the flowers at Danny's grave.

" 'Morning, Red. Sleep well?"

                "Yes and no to be truthful with you. The room was lovely it's just seeing you both brings it all back."

" I know how it feels."

" May I ask how you cope?"

" To be honest I look in Danny in the eye and I remember everything. From the health clinic were we all first met to when Rafe told me he was going to England, to when Danny told me the news that Rafe died, to the bombing to the raid, to when I was at the air field waiting for Rafe and the father of my child, to when I saw Rafe waiting for me at the altar. I cope by remembering"

" Still love her"

" You'll always love her, just like I will always love Danny."

" Momma!" a little voice cried out

" I have to go."

" That's fine, I understand"

As Evelyn leaves Red looks at the grave.

" Danny, Danny, Danny! Is Betty with you? And Anthony? I miss all of you so much. You son is beautiful. I feel responsible though. I mean about what I told you that afternoon. You would have been a great father. You know that? Take care of Betty for me. Funny how things go full circle isn't it? Really though I need you to take care of her. Remember we all for ever going to be the tip of the sword!"

                Red places his old army wings at the grave and walks away. Weeks come and go, Red has left for Chicago and Danny has gone missing.

"Danny! Danny! Where are you?" yells Rafe

" Rafe, where could he have gone?" cries the distraught Evelyn

" I have and idea. Danny and I used to play there when we were little"

"Fine I'll go with you."

                The couple goes over to a beat up old shed that contains a vintage crop duster that is up on blocks.

" Vroooooooommm roooooooooommmmmm click click whoopee! Daddy this is fun!"

" I know it is." Rafe says while brushing a away a tear " Want to go for a flying lesson?

" Yes, daddy I do!"

                Rafe scoops up Danny in his arms and carries him over to the working vintage crop duster.

                " Here you go son. You ready? All set? Then let's go!"

                Evelyn watches the father and son go off and then walks over to Danny's grave. 

" Danny I still love you. I have this part of me that is buried with you. Danny has your passion for flying. Rafe loves him so much. I think that I'm staring to understand your bond. He's looking more and more like you every day now. It's hard on the both of us. We both miss you so much. I have to go now. Rafe and Danny are going to be home any time now. I love you always and forever."

                                Evelyn dashes inside to wipe the tears from her face before her boys come home.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two 

The year is now 1960. Danny is home alone and decides to go up into the barn's loft. It had always been forbidden to him and today was the day that he was going to find out why.

" Wow! It is dark up here. There must be a lamp around here somewhere." Danny strains his eyes in the dark to find a lamp to light the dark room " Ahh, here's one."

            As Danny turns on the lamp, he sees a single box in the far corner of the room. He goes over and opens it. On the top are newspapers about the bombing at Pearl Harbor and Doolittle's Raid. 

" Nothing shocking here. Mom and Dad were at Pearl Harbor and Dad was one of the raiders. Come to think of it so was his buddy, Danny Walker. I guess that is how I got my name Daniel Walker McCawley. What's this?"

            Danny has found a leather jacket with a captain insignia on the shoulder. As he opens it up letters fall out. Danny then reads them.

" To the love of my life,

Training is hard and long but I look forward to the day that I can come home to you… With all my love Danny"

            He jumps to the next letter not wanting to believe his eyes

" ' Sweetest Evelyn,

Tomorrow we fly out for the cruiser that will take Rafe and I to the aircraft carrier. I think that he is still angry with me, and that is causing him to hide something from me… Forever loving you, Danny' Whoa, whoa, whoa! This is messed up. Let's check another one. 

' My dearest Evelyn,

I can't let my eyes close without seeing you. I know that you would rather have me do this in person but I need to so this now and in this moment. Will you marry me? I've loved you since the first day we met. Do you remember? At the health clinic… Your waiting love, Danny' Mom was engaged to another man? The date, it's the day before the raid. Danny walker died in the raid! No wonder why they never wanted me to find this stuff!"

            As soon as he said this, he heard footsteps going up the stairs to the loft. That could only mean one thing; his parents were home.

" Do you think that we should tell him, Rafe?"

" Yes, he is old enough to understand, he's almost 18"

" So what do we tell him?"

" The whole thing without the fights and how… well we'll just see."

" I'll help you with the box then."

            Just then Rafe and Evelyn see Danny

" Did you look in that box?" asked Evelyn

"  Yes, I'm sorry, really I am" responded Danny

" So you know then?" interjected Rafe

" Mom was going to marry you friend Danny but he got killed in the raid."

" I was going to marry… your father"

" Time out! Rafe McCawley is my father!"

" Yes, I am but not your natural father," added Rafe who was tearing up

" Did my father ever know about me?"

" When he was dying I told him about you. With his last breath he told me to raise you"

" Ummm… Danny and I thought that Rafe had died over the English Channel. We fell in love. The day that I found out I has having you was the day that Rafe showed up alive."

" You see son, myself and your mother had been in love. I volunteered to go to England in January of '41. After I had been over there for a half of a year or so I was shot down and thought to be dead. I came to Hawaii a night or two before the attack. It was then that I knew something was wrong. Your mom was quiet and stiff.  Danny came over to us but my back was to him. Then your mom changed she looked over her shoulder and then back to be so I turned around. Danny was there. It was then that I knew they had fallen in love. I was so angry with Danny but I let it go when Evelyn came to me the day before we both left for the raid and told me that she was going to have you."

"I found out that I was having you minutes before Rafe came back into my life I mean he saw me when I looked at the lab reports.

" Well, after graduation I'm going to Hawaii to see everything that you three saw. I mean the hospital, the base, and the downtown absolutely everything. Mom will you come with me?"

" Of course I will. I think your father would want to go too."

" I'd be honored to go. In fact then I can get some answers to my questions."

" Hawaii, here we come!" yelled Danny


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three 

As the McCawley family pulls up to the hotel on the harbor Rafe and Evelyn start to cry. 

" What's wrong? The hotel isn't that bad!" joked there son

" Rafe, can you see it?"

" I can see it alright, and smell it and feel it." answered her husband

" What are you seeing and smelling and feeling?" asked the inquisitive Danny

" Everything" his parents said at the same instant in time

            After unpacking and eating dinner at the small restaurant that the hotel owned, Rafe confronted his wife.

" Do you thing we did the right thing?"

" I hope and pray so," said a crying Evelyn " This is bringing it all back I mean the part that you weren't here for. We drove past the café that Danny had our first date of sorts. The beach were we used to spend our free days is 100 yards out the door. Then at sunset I felt like I was back in his plane. That's why I needed the coat. Danny smuggled me on to his plane with it. That was when…" by this time Evelyn was sharking and sobbing in Rafe's arms. 

" Shhh… it's going to be fine. We're going to get through this together"

" I love you"  
            "I love you too. Now let's go to bed. It's nearly one. Tomorrow you can show me anything that you want to."

" OK, that sounds good."

            That night both Evelyn and Rafe's dreams were filled with flashbacks to 1941. They both felt guilt, heartache, and joy. An hour before dawn Rafe gets Evelyn put to see the sun rise.

"Wake up, love I've got a breakfast picnic packed and ready to go.'

" Rafe McCawley, the hopeless romantic. Two things, first give me five minutes to get ready and second what about Danny?"

" I left him a note, come on get ready"

            Rafe took Evelyn up on to a cliff overlooking the harbor. When Evelyn opened the basket she was shocked with the great surprise that it contained. Two origami cranes, just like the ones that Rafe had made all those years ago.

" The cranes! You remembered!"

" How could I have ever forgotten, Lieutenant?"

" I don't know, Captain," giggled Evelyn

            As the couple watched the sun come up they talked like it was still 1941. It was like nothing ever happened and they were still 25. 

" Don't worry about it, I promise never to leave you again"

" I have an idea Rafe!"

" What my I ask is this idea of yours?"

" Do you want to go in a ship? I mean like what we did in New York the night before you left."

" Tonight at eight we sail!"

"Oh, Rafe!"

            When Danny woke up that morning on one was in the hotel room. Then he saw the note on the mirror.

" ' Danny- We have gone out for the day. Feel free to go around town, be back at six for dinner. –Mom and Dad' Huh. Oh well. It will be fun any way, so now where do I want to go? I guess I'll go down to the hospital were Mom worked and take a look around."

            As Danny walks to the hospital he tries to envision the town as it was in '41. Before he knows it he has reached the front door to the hospital. When Danny goes in he can feel his heart drop. This is his past. When he gets in the door a receptionist gasps and covers her mouth. Being the professional that she is the receptionist puts her self back together.  

" How may I direct you sir?" she asks

" Ummm…" Danny looks at her nameplate " Mrs. Smith, my name is Danny McCawley and my mother was a navy nurse stationed here in 1941. I was wondering if you would let me look around."

" Sure I'll get a nurse to show you around."

" May I ask your name?"

 " It's Sandra, Sandra Smith."

 " Also may I ask why you had that expression on your face when I waked in?"

" You just look like someone that I used to know"

" Is that someone Danny Walker?"

" Yes! How did you know?"

" I'm his and Evelyn Johnson's son. She married Rafe McCawley"

" Wow! Are they here with you?"

" Yes they are."

" Tell them to drop by soon!"

" I will tell them at dinner tonight."

" Here comes someone now to show you around"

            As Danny took the tour of the hospital, he thought about both his fathers and his mother. He cam to the realization that his father Rafe must have loved his mother so hard for so long to marry her even though she was having his best friend's child. It would have all been so different if Danny had lived through the raid. During to tour he saw all the wards, the grounds, and the storage units. Meanwhile Evelyn took Rafe around the city.

"This is the movie theater that Danny and I met up after we though you'd died. And that café over there is where we had our first date of sorts. Oh! See that street post over there?"

"Yea, I see it."

" Well, that is where Red asked Betty to marry him."

" Hey, I hate to be unfeeling but would you mind it very much if I went over to the air field?"

" Go, I don't mind, really I don't. I just want to go and sit on the beach for a while" sighed Evelyn

" I see"

" No, no, no it's not that. I always went there for peace. I was where every day you we re in England to write you letter. Those sunsets I wrote about were sunsets seen from that beach."

"If you say so, but I'll see you tonight at dinner. I love you"

" I love you too"                                                                                                                                                                             

               As Rafe was driving to the base in the beat up rental jeep he made a mental list of all those who would still be there. Before he knew it he had pulled up to Hickem. For what he could remember nothing had really changed.

            " Hello? This is Captain Rafe McCawley, US army. Is anyone here?"

            "Come in, Captain"

            The voice sounded somewhat familiar. However it was deeper and older than he had remembered.

            "Goose, is that you?"

            "The one and only. Boy you've changed!"

            "Well, look who's talking."

            "Good point. 18 years does do that to one. How have you been?

            "Fine, I guess. Evelyn and Danny are fine. He found his father' things and wanted to come here so here we are. Where is everyone else? I mean us who were in the Doolittle raid. 

            "Mostly retired, I have a year left on that count. Earl did in '55 of cancer. Umm…. Doolittle is in Washington. That's all I know, I think."

            "I saw Red 15 or so years ago. He stayed with us for a week and then left to go to Chicago. Never heard from him since then."

            The men talked for the next hour until Rafe had to leave. At six that night the McCawley family were in their hotel room.

            "So, Mom, what's a good place to eat around here?" asked an extremely hungry Danny

            "There is this little café where me and the girls used to eat."

"Let's go then," decided Rafe

"Oh, that reminds me. When I went to the hospital today I got to talk with this one nurse at the reception desk. She said that she knew both of you. Her name was Sandra."

"Really! First thing tomorrow I'm going down there! What did she look like?" said an excited Evelyn

"She had dark curly hair, glasses, and really red lipstick."

"The lipstick. We all wore it. I marked to the wounded with it…" Evelyn broke off sobbing

"Mom I am so sorry."

"I say that we just stay for dinner tonight and get something at the café in the hotel's lobby."

"Sure" agreed Evelyn

Later that night Evelyn and her husband left to go on a ship. All she told Danny is that were going out to be 'single, in love and 25 again.' Of course, Danny just rolled his eyes and sighed.

Just as 19 years ago Rafe took his love on a cargo platform of an ocean liner.

"Do you remember what we talked about that night?" asked Evelyn

" Not really. I just remember how beautiful you looked in the moonlight and how the platform nearly dumped us into the water."

"You told me that the future wasn't in our hands. You were right. This isn't how we planed out our lives but I'm happy, are you?"

"Happier than I ever thought was possible."

"I have to tell you something."

"What?"

"I'm not sorry about our son. He's the beast thing that has ever happened to me. His father will always have a special place in my heart. I love you so much but I'm just saying that I was going to marry him. Everyday since we've buried him I've gone to his gave to talk to him. Some times it's small talk or about our son, or how we all are doing. Do you understand?"

"I don't think that I can ever totally understand. Let's just sit here and think about us and how it was when we were young."

"I love you, you know."

"Same to you."

When Rafe and Evelyn cam e back to the hotel Danny was asleep.

"He's looking more and more like his father," Observed Rafe

"He does and it breaks my heart."

"He also looks like his gorgeous mother."

"Rafe, maybe when we met…"

"No, you were beautiful then, you're gorgeous now."

Evelyn just smiled and left to kiss her son good night.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four 

The McCawleys slept in the next morning. When the family got up they planed their day.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to see the downtown and go to the airbase" said Danny

"Ok then, we are going to see Sandra" his mother replied

As everyone went there separate ways it started to rain. When Evelyn and Rafe got to the hospital Evelyn picked out Sandra right away. Sandra was busy doing paperwork at the desk right inside the door.

"Hey there! Are those the same forms you were filling out when I left?"

"Hi Evelyn. I know you know the right answer to that one," said Sandra without looking up and added "Rafe with you?"

"As always" added Rafe

"One sec and I'll show you around"

As Sandra finished the paperwork Evelyn looked around. It was basically the same from her time there. Of course there were minor changes, new paint, new people, plastic windows, two wards had been changed in to one big ward.

"Ok, all done. So where do you two want to go?"

"I'll go where ever Evelyn wants to go." said Rafe

"It's up to you Ev."

"Let's go to the nurses quarters then. I want to see if something is still there."

"What?" asked Rafe

"Ev, I've never found anything."

"Well, I never wanted anyone to find it."

"Come on then, lets see if it's still there." said Rafe 

As the friends walked to the nurses quarters Rafe tried to figure out what Evelyn could have hid all those years ago.

"You guys wait while I go and see if anyone is in there." decided Sandra 

As soon as Sandra was out of ear shot Rafe said "Ev? When did people start calling you Ev?"

"Since I met Sandra." replied  Evelyn simply

"So tell me. What is in there that you wouldn't let me know about?"

"It might not be there anymore. I'd hate to get your hopes up about it."

"Ev, Rafe! It's all clear"

Once the trio got inside Evelyn told Rafe and Sandra to stay in the kitchen while she got her secret item.

"Sandra, do you have idea what this mystery object is?

"Sort of. It's been nearly twenty years though"

"I'm back. It was still there."

"I'll leave you two alone." volunteered Sandra

As Sandra walked away Rafe got even more desperate to know what his wife was hiding behind her back.

"Pick a hand Captain."

"Put your right hand over your left heart. I always pick left in matters of the heart."

"Here you go."

Once Rafe looked the aged, creased, yellow paper he had a shocked look in his eyes. It was the drawing that he insisted that they got on their first date. Evelyn was in a blue dress with a white cardigan over it. He was dressed in his dress uniform.

"You saved this?!"

"It was the only thing that I wanted to keep for sure of the both of us."

"Where did you stow it at?"

"Come and see."

Evelyn led Rafe past the living room, the office and into the giant dorm of the nurses.

"See that window bench?"

"So?"

While walking over to it she fingered Rafe to follow her. She took off the cushion and pulled off the back to it. Inside was a small, hollow cavity.

"This was my hiding spot. I'm surprised that no one has found it."

"Well, you are a very clever woman."

The couple then left the dorm and went to the desk to say good-bye to Sandra

"When are you guys going home?" Sandra asked

"Most likely the day after tomorrow." answered Rafe

"I take it that you found what you were looking for, Ev."

"Yes I did. In fact it was in the exact same spot that I left it in."

As Rafe and Evelyn were headed out the door Sandra shouted

"Write me! Don't let it be so long before I see you again Ev!"

"Maybe we could get all the girls together again sometime," answered Evelyn

With that Rafe and Evelyn left. Meanwhile Danny waked around the town. Then he said to himself 

"Why not go and see the airfield?'

The problem was that he didn't know the way. He asked directions at a café called Black Cat Café that had a wonderful table for two in the window. He then wondered how he would be received at the airbase. Before long he was at the base and a man was standing in front of a parachute hangar. When the man looked up he got a very shocked look in his features.

" Who's there?" asked the man

"Danny McCawley. My father was here during the attack."

"Your dad was just here the other day. Come on in. I'm Goose. The office is over here."

The walk to Goose's office consisted of going threw a long, narrow hallway with ceiling fans and bluish titles on the floor.

"So what did you want to know?"

"Anything that you want to tell me."

"Let's see…he was an excellent fighter, good friend. He also was very quiet and ke[pt to himself, most of the time."

"Really? He was bold to go out with my mother."

"Well, that's different. Ladies cloud the mind"

"That is an odd saying."

"It's the truth though."

Goose talked to Danny about his father for the next 45 minutes or so and then Danny had to leave. 

"Thank you for talking to me. I have just one more question. Was he good to my mom?"

"Don't you worry, Danny was always the gentleman of us."

When Danny left it was getting close to when he need to be back so he didn't stop along the way back to the hotel. By this time the rain had stopped when he got back to the room his parents were at the table in the corner looking at a piece of paper and chatting.

"What's that?" Danny asked

"Well hello to you too. Come over here and see for your self." Evelyn said

As he was staring at the paper his father explained

"This is a drawing of your mother and I on our first date."

"Wow! This is really cool. But Dad this is only a lieutenant's marking on your uniform."

"Well, I was promoted to captain right before I volunteered to go on the raid."

"Mom, why weren't you promoted to captain?' 

"I would have but I left the service when Rafe came home from the raid."

The discussion went on late into the night. Finally before the family went to be they decided to spend the next day together.


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five 

The next morning the McCawley family ate breakfast in the hotels restaurant. 

"Rafe, I want to go down to harbor and put some flowers in the water." said Evelyn

"That will be fine with me"

"I saw a flower stand not hat far from here" observed their son

"So you think that Sandra will want to come with us, Evelyn?"

"I just wanted to keep it between the tree of us, that is, if you don't mind."

"That's fine with me. I think that it would be better if it were just the three of us."

"I don't care either way." said Danny

"The three of us it is then." decided Evelyn

Early that afternoon Rafe, Evelyn, and Danny walked into the flower stand that Danny had mentioned earlier that morning. It was there that the family bought a dozen yellow roses to throw in the harbor. The walk to the harbor was about ten minutes. No one said anything but, everyone's minds were racing. When the family got to the water's edge, Rafe divvied the flowers, four each. When they all threw them into the rough, shallow harbor Evelyn cried. Not really cried more like a zoned out look with misty eyes. Rafe zoned out too but he just focused on the sky. They all left in silence. Walking back to the hotel

everyone decided  to eat at the restaurant that was a quarter of a block from the hotel.

            "Dad, what time does our flight leave in the morning?"

            "Ten, but we have to out of the hotel by eight."

At the restaurant the McCawleys ate a light dinner and finished the walk back to the hotel. Once here they all stated to pack.

            "Evelyn, what are you going to do with that drawing?"

            "I'll probably put it with all of my other things from here. That way I know that it will be safe."

            "So are you glad you came?" asked Danny of his parents 

            "It's just has been so overwhelming. I saw things that I haven't seen in years and never epected to see again." said Evelyn

            "We saw a couple of our friends. I got answers to my questions…"

            "But you haven't answered my question." retorted Danny

"We haven't because there are too many emotions involved." said his mother

And with that Danny let it go. After they all had packed, Rafe, Evelyn, and Danny decieded to go see the show that the hotel's rec center was playing. The show ran long so the family didn't get back until ten. Being that they had to leave early the next day everyone turned in for the night.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six 

"Everyone ready?" asked Evelyn at a quarter to eight

"Yes Mom. I've checked under the beds for anything that mine."

"Ok then, let's go."

 They drove the rental car to the airport. Once there they got the luggage out of the trunk and a driver took the car away. It took a long time but finally the McCawleys were on the plane.

            "Ugh! Now the real wait begins." complained Danny

            "Well why don't you read that magazine that you bought at the stand while the luggage was being loaded." answered Evelyn

On the long flight home Rafe and Evelyn looked through some stuff while their son slept and read. After several hours, the plane landed in Tennessee. Evelyn found the luggage and Rafe and Danny took it to the family car that was parked in the airport's garage. The drive to Shelby took less than an hour. Soon they were all home.

            While Danny was upstairs, Rafe and Evelyn were in the kitchen.

            "Evelyn, do you have that drawing unpacked?"

            "Yeah, it's in my box over in the that drawer." Evelyn said as she pointed to a drawer that was over in the corner of the kitchen

            "I'll be right back" Rafe said while grabbing the drawing. 

            Rafe when up the stairs. He was gone for a few minutes. Just as Evelyn was starting to wonder, her husband appeared with a small package.

            "Rafe McCawley, the hopeless romantic." sighed Evelyn 

            "Open it."

            When Evelyn pulled back the wrapping she gasped. Inside a silver frame was the drawing of them.

            "Oh, Rafe. It's so wonderful!" breathed Evelyn

            Rafe then hung it up with all the other family pictures. Soon Rafe and Evelyn went up to bee. Rafe was soon asleep but Evelyn couldn't find rest. She got up and looked out her window. What she saw touched her so deeply only she could understand it. Her son was at his father's grave, and he was in his father's leather jacket. He just was sitting there talking. When she opened the window a light breeze carried Danny's voice up to her.

            "…so I've decided to join the army and be a pilot. Gosh, I still can't believe that you're my father. Now I realize why Mom always got that look in her eye when Dad talked about you. Everyone down at the harbor though I looked like you. Sorry I looked at those letters I just needed to know.  I love you."

            Evelyn shut her eyes and let the tears flow. She climbed into bed and let herself fall into sleep. That night she saw her Danny and was finally able to say good-bye to the father of her son.


End file.
